My name is Ali-Reza, an Iranian-American with a great interest in my ancestral culture, language, and art. I studied conventional architecture, however my real interest and personal research is the traditional arts & architecture of the Persianate world. In recent years I have specifically focused on the built heritage of Persian style Shi’ite Shrines such as found in Iran and Iraq and their destruction as a result of modernization projects. I also am working to document the traditional building crafts, particularly in Central Asia.

Throughout the course of my personal research I have travelled to and documented various sites in the Persianate world, reporting on their architectural features, translating historic calligraphic inscriptions, and critiquing culturally destructive modernization projects.

Through this page I hope to both raise a new sense of admiration for the architectural heritage of the Persianate world as well as raise awareness of the danger and destruction many of our beloved cultural sites face at the hands of modernization, sabotage, and neglect.
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